Sunday, February 04, 2007

Kick Ass Brownies

Spring training and Valentine's Day are approaching...


Kick-Ass Brownies
(recipe courtesy of Sweet Comfort Bakery)

These brownies have been cyclist tested and approved at the highest (and lowest) levels. Be advised, if you make this recipe you will never want anyone else’s brownies again!! (and people will BEG you to make them from now on). Also be advised that if the Food Network puts you to sleep, the following will as well!

[more]



Ingredients

1 lb unsalted butter
1 lb quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I use Ghirardelli)
6 oz. Scharffenberger unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tea. sea salt
1 tabl. baking powder
1 tea. cinnamon

6 large eggs (at room temp.)
3 tabls. instant espresso powder
2 tabls. pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups super fine granulated sugar

2 cups quality bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghriardelli)
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans, chopped



Preheat oven to 350 F. Completely line a 9”x13”x2” pan with heavy duty aluminium foil and spray the foil lightly with cooking spray.

In a double boiler melt the first three ingredients (the butter, unsweetened chocolate, and 1 pound of bittersweet chocolate). Set aside to cool slightly.

Sift together the next four ingredients (the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt) and set aside.

Combine the chocolate chips with the chopped toasted pecans and coat with 2 tbs. of flour.

In a large bowl beat together the eggs, sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla until well incorporated. Be sure do this last as the sugar will “burn” the eggs.

Pour a small amount of the cooled melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture to temper. Once incorporated pour the remainder of the melted chocolate in and mix well. Let this mixture cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes should do)

After cooling fold in the dry ingredients mixing just until blended. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts, mixing just until incorporated.


Pour into the prepared pan, spreading evenly (don’t forget the corners). Place onto the middle rack of your preheated oven and bake 35-40 min. Halfway through the baking process take the pan out of the oven and bang on the counter to prevent souffle-ing. Start testing after 35 minutes with a wooden toothpick and if some crumbs are clinging remove immediately. DO NOT OVERBAKE!!


Cool on counter in pan. When completely cooled keep brownies in the pan and cover the top with foil to be placed in the refrigerator overnight. Lift out the foil from the pan, remove brownies from foil, and cut into small squares.

These can be frozen and keep well for a long time.

Enjoy!!!



8 comments:

Anonymous said...

ORG here ....

If I were to have a roving sqaud of Nazi frogman break into my kitchen and bake them, would I be risking a two year ban? It would be worth it, however, if after eating them I could ride up Pike peak like I'm on a "goddamm harley."

Go bears!

daniel m (a/k/a Rant) said...

ORG,

These sure sound like they would fuel an entire band of roving Nazi frogmen riding up Pike's Peak like they're on a whole fleet of "goddamn Harleys."

I'm going to have to try some of these before my mext long training ride (whenever the weather will actually permit outdoor riding -- no fool [or me] in his right mind would be out in the -1F temps we have right now in Wisconsin).

- Rant

Anonymous said...

ORG here ....

Rant, since your very close to the headquarters of Harley, maybe you can help me ....

I'm partial to the soft-tail Harley but I cannot find any dealers that sell the "goddamm Harley." Not even in Montreal!

You where I can get one?

Anonymous said...

Someone needs to come remove my wife from the computer screen.

Wow, one of those in my back pocket and I could ride all day long.

Anonymous said...

I'm sooo glad I don't cook or bake (microwave and toaster oven don't count!!). I don't think I'm riding enough now for even 1 of those brownies.:(

Anonymous said...

I suspect that eating this brownies before a ride won't turn you into a "goddamm Harley" but memrly make you sound like a "goddamm Harley."

strbuk said...

>>I suspect that eating this brownies before a ride won't turn you into a "goddamm Harley" but memrly make you sound like a "goddamm Harley.<<

Please don't impune my brownies, no one has EVER had a complaint such as the one you've listed :-)

-str-

daniel m (a/k/a Rant) said...

ORG,

Not sure who carries the "goddamn" model. I can find Sportsters and others but all the dealers around here get a little pissy when being asked if they sell any "goddamn" Harleys.

You'd think they were being insulted or something. ;-)

- Rant